1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera of the type which is provided with a flash device whose light emitting portion is received in the camera and which is prepared for flashlight photographing when the light emitting portion is popped up or protruded from the camera.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A camera provided with a flash device whose light emitting portion is received within the camera body or in the front part thereof is well known in the art. Before exposure, the brightness of an object to be taken at that time is measured. When the result of the measurement indicates the need for illuminating the object by the flash device, flashlight photographing is performed using the flash device. It is also known to provide the above mentioned type of camera with a mechanism for automatically popping up the light emitting portion to a position suitable for flashlight photographing. When the need for flashlight is detected, the mechanism is actuated to prepare the camera and its flash device for flashlight photographing. Such arrangement is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Application for Utility Model Patent laid open No. 27,622/1979.
However, the prior art technique involves some problems.
As a matter of course, the power source of the flash device is consumed with time and the source voltage may drop to a level insufficient for flashlight photographing. Even in such case, the pop-up mechanism according to the prior art is necessarily actuated so long as the brightness of the object is low. Therefore, although the source voltage in truth has dropped to a level insufficient for flashlight photographing, the light emitting portion is popped up, which will lead the operator erroneously to conclude that flashlight photographing is possible.
Another drawback of the prior arrangement disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese patent publication is found in that there is used a normally releasing type of electromagnet to control the pop-up of the light emitting portion. The light emitting portion of the flash device is normally locked in the position received in the camera. When the electromagnet is excited, it draws an unlocking member to allow the light emitting portion to pop out from the camera. Since a normally releasing type of electromagnet is used to draw the unlocking member which is normally apart from the magnet, a large amount of electric power is consumed to actuate the unlocking member.